One of the challenges facing our cast at English Opera Singers is how exactly to portray our characters in a concert version of this opera. After all, you don’t have the benefit of scenery or costumes, or indeed a director as such.
However, we think this is actually a real virtue, because we can base our interpretations on what Verdi himself wanted his singers to sound like. Luckily, the composer was a bit of a control freak, and wrote many letters to his original cast, with detailed instructions. (He even held a last minute piano rehearsal for the main duet, minutes before curtain up on the dress rehearsal – we won’t be doing that!)
With the character of Macbeth, Verdi was keen that the oppressive and spooky atmosphere would be at the heart of the singing.
“Remember that it is night; everyone’s asleep; so his duet should be sung sotto voce but in a hollow voice such as will inspire terror. Macbeth himself will sing one or two phrases in full voice as though carried away for the moment… The orchestra will be very quiet and therefore you two on stage will have to sing with your mutes on.”
For the revised version of the opera presented in Paris in 1865, Verdi was determined that his Lady Macbeth should sound very different to what audiences would have expected:
“I would rather that Lady’s voice were rough, hollow and stifled … Both duet and sleepwalking scene should not be sung but rather acted and declaimed in a voice that is hollow and veiled.”
So, come and see how our talented singers get their teeth around those instructions at our concert performance of Verdi’s ‘Macbeth’, on Saturday 24 October. For full details, and the chance to save a massive 25% on ticket prices by booking online, go to www.englishoperasingers.co.uk.
